The maxim that you should never judge a book by its cover holds true when it comes to the contrary appearance and nature of chipmunks.
Just look at this cute, innocent, little rodent – who wouldn’t want to cuddle it!  As much as their appearance and behavior may be heartwarming, chipmunks are wild creatures that unless already tamed, right after their birth. just might respond to touching with a bite!

This doesn’t mean that chipmunks can’t be kept at home as pets. It’s just that you need to devote a lot of time, patience, and space for them. If you’re willing to commit, you’ll love living with these adorable creatures. Before you buy one though, you should look up your state laws and local ordinances because in some regions, it’s illegal to keep chipmunks as pets.

Apart from that, you need to know a few things about these rodents before you bring them home.

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Chipmunks are the smallest members of the Sciuridae family and there are 25 different species of this cute animal.  Chipmunks have much in common with their slightly larger cousins, Ground Squirrels and Tree Squirrels, but their smaller size makes them quite different in many aspects of their lives.

One difference between the different members of the Sciuridae family is lifespan.  Some species of Tree Squirrels have been reported to live up to 18 years (see How Long Do Squirrels Live for more information).  But what about the small guys?  How long do chipmunks live?

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Chipmunks, like other animals, can be carriers of pests and diseases. Some of these are common, such as lice and mites. Others may be more dangerous. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at the matter at hand: Do chipmunks carry rabies? Are there any other diseases carried by chipmunks?

Chipmunks are not major carriers of the rabies virus. However, there are several other diseases carried by chipmunks.

Keep reading because this is going to get interesting.

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The chipmunk is among the few rodents in the world whose presence is largely limited to North America (Except for the Siberian chipmunk). Of course, this does not make them any less diverse amongst their other rodent friends. As I have mentioned in my earlier articles, you’ll find 25 different species of chipmunks in North America.

These members of the chipmunk family can be distinguished from each other in several ways. One of these is their breeding cycles, which is precisely the reason for this article!.

One of the questions people often ask about these animals is, “When do chipmunks have babies?”   The quick answer is that chipmunks have babies in the Spring, typically in the March-April timeframe.  However, given the diverse geographic climates in which various chipmunk species are found, the Spring season can extend into later months with babies being born in the months of May and June.  Some species of chipmunks have a second litter of babies in September.

 

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If you haven’t noticed it before, chipmunks tend to disappear as the temperatures drop when we enter into the cold months. They then resurface during March or April when it is spring again. If a particular animal disappears for the winter then you might think that it is hibernating. But what about these guys…Do chipmunks hibernate?

Chipmunks (members of the squirrel family) are not true hibernators but they do enter states of torpor.  Chipmunks retreat to their underground burrows and enter a hibernation type state but wake up every few days to eat and defecate. So, instead of hibernating, you can term chipmunks as ‘light sleepers’.

Of course, this brings up another question: How do chipmunks survive in winter?  Surprisingly enough, chipmunks will use a variety of survival tactics to make it through the cold months. Let’s take a look at what these are and how they help chipmunks survive in the winter.

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